Star Wars™ Tatooine™ Sunset

Deep in the galaxy's outer rim lies a haven for those who do not wish to be found. The yellow orange planet of Tattooine is home to scavengers, criminals, moisture farmers, traders, and the passing star pilot, and its orbit around the twin suns keeps its surface dry, desolate and perilous. From space, this marigold colored marble moves silently amongst the stars. But on the surface, the deserts of this planet are free from galactic government intervention, leaving them in the dangerous hands of the Hutt Cartel. These slug-like beings are in the business of chaos, which means engaging in peace disrupts their governance. But there is still ease to be found here between rifle blasts and Lightsaber fights, after sand storms and storm trooper patrols. And it's here as the twin suns make their way under the horizon line that we settle in for the evening, starting with a short wind-down exercise. Tonight's wind-down is an exercise we call noting. It helps to soothe the mind. And once you've learned it, you can even use it if you wake up during the night. We are going to be counting our breaths and then just gently noting thoughts and feelings as they arise. We are not trying to change them. We're simply labeling thinking as thinking, feeling as feeling. It may sound incredibly simple but it can help to create distance between ourselves and the thought, and ourselves and the feeling, so we don't get so involved in it. That, in turn, creates a more restful state of mind. In other words, the perfect conditions for gentle, restful sleep. So to begin, just take a moment or two to get comfortable. Make sure you're nice and cool, and starting with some big, deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. And with the next out breath, allowing the breath to return to its natural rhythm. In and out through the nose, and feeling the weight of the body pressing you down into your bed. And in your own time, starting to count the breaths as they pass, one with a rise, two a fall, just up to a count of 10. When you get to 10, you can stop and start again at one. And remember, anytime you get distracted, the moment you realize you are distracted by thought, simply note it thinking, and return to the breath. Or if a feeling arises, note it as feeling and return to the breath. Noting is very gentle, not harsh at all. Think of it like a feather just gently touching the surface of a crystal glass. I'm going to give you a few moments just to keep counting the breath, and noting any thoughts and feelings that arise. That's great. In the distance, a Jawa transport gleams as it makes its way through the end of a sandstorm. Like the Jawas' brown robes, this massive mobile fortress, appropriately named a Sandcrawler, blends into the terrain as it...